Simon Swindell

Simon Swindell (circa 1913 -1988). Actor and broadcaster.

Biography

During World War II he was the Commander of the Beirut and then the Cairo stations of Forces’ Broadcasting. He was the presenter of the Sunday morning religious music programme "From the Bell Tower" which ran for 26 years on Springbok Radio and then on Radio South Africa.

On 1 October 1966 he became organiser of CAPAB's English drama, but frequently toured with readings and one-man shows.

He died of a heart attack at the age of 75 in Cape Town on 6 March 1988 leaving a son and a daughter.

Contribution to SA theatre, film, media and/or performance

During his long career he has appeared in stage productions of Cyrano de Bergerac (1952), The Tempest (as Stephano, Johannesburg Reps 1956), The Master Builder (NTO 1957), Affairs of State (1959), Eldorado (1960), The Amorous Prawn (1961), Burning Bright (1962), The Andersonville Trial (as President of the Court, 1962), The Cherry Orchard (PACT 1963), The Affair (PACT 1963), After the Fall (as Lou, 1964), The Big Knife (CAPAB 1965), The Lower Depths (CAPAB 1965), Trap for a Lonely Man (CAPAB 1965), The King's Mare (1967), White Horse Inn (as the Mayor, CAPAB 1972), Tom Thumb, or The Tragedy of Tragedies (CAPAB 1972), The Circus Adventure (CAPAB 1973), Annie Get Your Gun (CAPAB 1973), The School for Wives (CAPAB 1973), London Assurance (CAPAB 1974), Rookery Nook (CAPAB 1975), The Alchemist (CAPAB 1975), Pygmalion (CAPAB 1975), Arms and the Man (CAPAB 1977), Geraldine Aron's Along Came a Spider (as Archie, CAPAB 1978), Tartuffe (as “M. Loyal”, CAPAB 1978), The Merchant of Venice (Maynardville 1979), Death of a Salesman (CAPAB 1979), The Relapse (CAPAB 1979), The Government Inspector (CAPAB 1980), The Dresser (1980 and 1982), First Monday in October (CAPAB 1981), Twigs (as Ned, CAPAB 1982).

He also appeared in a production of Hamlet as the 1st grave digger, date unknown, Hadrian the Seventh (at the Nico Malan, 1971), Richard III, as well as the one man shows Pickwick Papers and Ghosts and Guffaws.

Simon produced The Mousetrap staged at the Alexander Theatre, 1963 and directed The Chalk Garden (CAPAB 1968).

In July 1981 - He did an unnamed revue at the Market Theatre.

He acted in South African feature films Dingaka (1964), Lord Oom Piet (1962), Seven against the Sun (1964) and Tokoloshe (1965).

Sources

SACD 1973; 1974; 1977/78; 1979/80.

Maynardville theatre programme, 1979.

Tucker, 1997.

Grütter, Wilhelm, CAPAB 25 Years, 1987. Unpublished research. p 399.

NELM catalogue.

Obiruary, Cape Times, 7 March 1988.

Photographs, newspaper clippings and theatre programmes held by NELM in various locations.

IMDb [1].

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